Lean On Me
by SCEWT
Summary: Based on the song: Lean on me. A couple of short snippets from the lives of Mulder and Scully as they come to realise how much they truly need and care for each other. Dedicated to my amazing friend Melissa Lewis xDanaScullyx. An ode to friendship.


**This following story is based on the beautiful song 'Lean on me' by Bill Withers. I wanted to say that I changed the word brother in a few verses to lover becaus it was more appropriate. lol. I will add one more tiny story in between the last two verses some other time but yeah. I needed time to think about it.**

**_This story, of course - if you pick up the underlying meaning - is for my best friend Melissa Lewis. Who no matter what - is there for me. And Scul I just wanted to say that you can ALWAYS lean on me! (Apparently she couldn't) You have no idea how much our friendship means to me. You are my touchstone._**

* * *

**LEAN ON ME.**

_**Sometimes in our lives **_

_**we all have pain**_

_**we all have sorrow **_

_**but if we are wise **_

**_we know that there's always tomorrow,_**

Emily was cold. Her beautiful cherub face was silent and empty, no longer laughing at Mulder's Mr. Potato Face, no longer crying for her parents, no longer twisted with concentration as she tried so hard to colour between the lines of her drawing. Scully couldn't stand seeing her Emily cold. She caressed her tiny face, feeling no life in the touch. Slowly she bent down and kissed her baby on the forehead, lying down beside her on the hospital bed. Seizing up inside with pain, she closed her eyes – praying for it all to go away.

A solitary tear ran down Dana Katherine Scully's face. She wiped it away, truly not caring if anyone saw. She stood all alone facing they small coffin on the altar. Wind blew down the isle and played at her bare ankles, normally she would have shivered, but not now, not anymore, it didn't matter - she was dead inside. She quietly dragged her feet forward, one step at a time; a solitary figure in front of the small group. She was all alone now, there was nobody else. She reached a shaking hand out to touch the smooth, polished surface of the tiny coffin.

She pulled the lip open, ever so carefully. All that resides in the coffin is sand and Scully's cross necklace. She picks up the necklace, brushing a few grands of sand off of it, and holds it up to the light radiating from the beautiful stained glass windows. Her face is now thoroughly drenched with tears, she bites her lip closes her eyes. Everything is gone. Everything is black. Everything was dead.

She jumped slightly as she felt a hand close in on her shoulder. She rolled over disorientated, wiping sleep and tears from her eyes. She looked up, only to see the deep, kind brown eyes of Fox Mulder. She was lying on her back, on his large leather couch.

"Mulder…" she began, quite confused.

"Shhhhh" cooed Mulder softly and he pulled the warm, heavy blanket back up around her. Everything in his apartment was dark, it must have been late.

"You were having a bad dream" he explained. She half smiled and half frowned, not believing that it was all just a dream. Everything was silent. He leant down over her cold body and planted a soft, warm kiss on her sweat drenched forehead.

"Go back to sleep" he said and returned back to his comfortable arm chair a few meters away. As Mulder closed his eyes and went back to sleep, Scully couldn't bring herself to close hers, keeping them fixed on his peaceful face.

_**Lean on me! **_

_**when you're not strong **_

_**and I'll be your friend **_

_**I'll help you carry on **_

_**for it won't be long **_

_**'till I'm gonna need **_

_**somebody to lean on**_

The enormous, black, ominous space craft loomed over Mulder and Scully for what seemed like an eternity. In his hands Mulder grasped the tiny, freezing body of his partner and best friend, Dana Scully.

He shook her shoulders slightly as the massive ship above them began to drift off to the south.

"Scully!" he whispered, a little unsure why he found it necessary to use a hushed tone.

"Scully, wake up! You have to see this!" Everything would change from now on. They had proof. He had proof. He finally had his proof! No-one could possibly doubt them now. They had experienced the terror of the aliens first hand. Scully, for one, couldn't doubt him any longer. He was ecstatic. As he watched the craft disappear into the distant clouds of snow he continued to shake Scully, she had to see this - it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

The sight before his eyes was breathtaking, it was entrancing him and he never wanted to take his eyes off it. But as he pulled his hand up towards Scully face he felt it cold to the touch. He dragged his eyes away from the quickly disappearing alien space craft and looked down at his partner, she was blue and icicles had formed all over her. He brushed them off her quickly and pulled her into his chest.

Looking up once more to see the craft one more time, Mulder felt her move. He would never get the chance to see anything like this again, but it didn't matter. He turned back to face Scully and her clear turquoise eyes focused on his face.

"Cold…" she murmured, "Freezing!"

Mulder tugged her in tighter, covering as much of her as he could with his clothing and the rest of his body.

**_Please! _**

**_swallow your pride _**

**_if I have things _**

**_you need to borrow _**

**_for no one can fill_**

_**those of your needs **_

_**that you wont let show**_

Mulder unlocked to door to his office for the first time in months. Half expecting to walk in and smell the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee and see his beautiful partner, Dana Scully, smiling up at him from the only desk in the room. But no. He knew he wouldn't see that. He mightn't ever again. He bit his lip slightly as he twisted the door handle and walked in.

Clutching a folder tightly in his large hands, Mulder stepped over the threshold. To his disappointment, the office smelt musty and old and instead of Scully's face, he was greeted with the plastic covered furniture that he once considered comfortable. Not anymore, without Scully this place was no home; it was bitter and empty. He walked, melancholy thoughts spinning in his mind, over towards the calendar on his wall. Playboy - he almost grimaced - that wasn't appropriate, it just wasn't right. Fighting urges to hurl it into the bin he flicked the months forwards from May to November, not taking in any of the pictures that flashed past his eyes.

Turning slowly, and resting up against the wall momentarily, Mulder proceeded over towards the dusty filing cabinet. He scanned the warn markers on each draw until his eyes came to rest on 'Sa-Sk'. He pulled the metal draw open, wincing as it screeched slightly. From the folder in his hand he produced another smaller file that read: "Dana Scully 7 3317". Intentionally not dwelling on the folder that contained all the grisly details of Scully's fate, he filed it carefully into the correct slot. Just as he went to close the draw, he noticed how lumpy her file looked up against all the other streamline folders. Ever so gently he dipped his hand inside, removing both her round, reading glasses, and FBI badge. Pondering his lonely future without the enigmatic Dr. Scully, Mulder ran his fingers over the badge, and despite the fact that it was identical to his and every other agents badges in the building, it felt different, he felt her warmth and strength on it's cold metal surface.

Hanging from the closed badge was Scully's tiny cross necklace. It glittered slightly in the dim light of the room. She should have this with her, thought Mulder. The sight of it cheered him slightly and he held it tightly in his hand as he took a minute or two to consider where to put it.

Finally, with a slight pang of guilt, Mulder slipped the necklace over his own head and around neck. It made him feel strong. It reminded him not to give up. Not yet, it wasn't time yet.

**_just call on me lover, _**

_**when you need a hand **_

_**we all need somebody to lean on! **_

_**I just might have a problem that you'll understand **_

_**we all need somebody to lean on!**_

Scully sat, just as she had been all night, in an uncomfortable chair, beside Mulder's hospital bed.He looked so peaceful as he lay there, just like a child sleeping.

Scully couldn't help but to reflect on what he had put her through in the last twenty four hours. First he had decided that a trip to the Bermuda triangle was in order, then he'd put her in a position where she had to call upon the Lone Gunmen, AD Skinner and Jeffery Spender, of all people, for help. Well – when he woke up she was going go him a piece of her mind!

Who was she kidding? When he woke up she was going to hug him and only let go when someone pried her off. He twitched slightly, Scully was unsure if he was actually awake or not, carefully she stood up and lent over her sleeping partner,

"Mulder? Mulder, it's me…"

Suddenly he woke, looking around wildly. Scully was so relived. She was so tempted to kiss him and smother him with hugs. But that was not her; she was cool, calm and collected Dana Scully.

"Mulder, you're in hospital", she said calmly.

He tried to sit up and get out of bed, but as he rose he winced and groaned loudly. She placed her hands gently on his shoulders and guided him back down, telling him to lie still.

He looked up at her, puppy eyes on full display. Even when he had just woken from a comatose, Mulder could still make her smile. He rubbed the back of his head and spoke again,

"I feel…like hell"

Scully let out a very faint amused snort as she tucked another pillow in behind him, making it easier for him to sit up.

"I don't blame you. You've been through the wringer, I'd say"

Mulder looked slightly confused. Scully marvelled at how Mulder always managed to forget the stupid things that he did. He stared up at her sleepily,

"What happened to me?"

Scully raised an eyebrow, "You did something incredibly stupid…"

_**Lean on me **_

_**when you're not strong **_

_**I'll be your friend **_

_**I'll help you carry on **_

_**for it wont be long **_

**_'till I'm gonna need somebody to lean on,_**

Scully stood alone outside the doors of the hospital, watching people pass her. She just kept replaying the conversation she'd had with Daniel in her head, and what he'd said, "Dana... It was only to be with you. You were all I lived for". She knew that for the rest of her life she would wonder if she'd made the right choice. The only thought that consoled her was that now Maggie, his daughter could be happy.

She just stood there in the bright sunshine, feeling cold and empty, watching slowly as the people in the garden passed her. Without her head moving an inch to search for them, two nuns pass across her line of vision. Scully had realised so much recently. Her whole world had changed, and it would never be the same again. Did they know the truth? She wondered. What are they thinking? One thought, and one thought alone occupied her mind.

Will they go on like they have, ignorant for the rest of their lives?

She thought and she thought and she thought. But not a single answer came to her. She needed to leave, to go home, to rest her mind and her body. But as she takes her first step down the stairs, she sees the woman. That woman! The woman with the blonde hair and the baseball cap.

Without hesitation Scully runs as fast as she can, while still wearing heels, after the woman. She has to catch her, at any cost – there are so many answers that woman knows. It all depends on her. No matter how fast she runs it seems like the woman is still miles ahead.

Knocking one or two people out of the way as she runs, Scully is meters behind the woman. Finally she reaches out her small hand and grabs the woman hard on the shoulder, spinning her around. Scully looks up into the face of the woman, knowing that all her questions will be answered.

"Mulder?" asked Scully in shock. Much to her surprise, it is no longer a woman that Scully is looking at but Mulder. She just stares up into his kind face in awe, completely lost for words. But also surprisingly – Scully is not angry, she is not sad, but most importantly, she is not disappointed either.

Her questions had already been answered.

**_you just call on me lover_**

_**when you need a hand **_

_**we all need somebody to lean on! **_

_**I just might have a problem that you'll understand **_

_**we all need somebody to lean on! **_

_**If **_

_**there is a load! **_

_**you have to bare **_

_**that you can't carry **_

_**I'm right up the road **_

_**I'll share your load **_

_**if you just call me **_

_**Won't you just call me? **_

_**If you need a friend **_

"Don't make me do this alone"

_**Call me**_

"Why would you do that?"

_**Call me uh-uh**_

"You can't go now! Please!"

_**Call me**_

"Why would she do that?"

_**If you need a friend**_

"Just tell me when and where"

_**Call me**_

"What did you say Scully?"

_**Call me**_

"Can I come over?"

_**If you ever need a friend**_

"Mulder, it's me"

_**Call me**_

"Don't worry, everything's going to be alright!"

_**Call me!**_

"Tell me where you are…"

_**Call me**_

"Mulder – is that you?"

_**Call me**_

"Please, just listen to me!"

_**Call me**_

"What time is it?"

_**If you ever need a friend**_

"I really need your help"

_**Call me**_

"What did they say?"

_**Call me**_

"Mulder?"

_**Call me**_

"I can't do this without you…"

_**Call me**_

"Scully!"

_**You know you need a friend**_

"Why?"

_**Call me!**_

"I love you"

* * *

**That last bit isn't a phone conversation. It's individual comments and snippets. I just thought that it might weird some people out hehe.**


End file.
